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| Source // Nintendo |
New Nintendo console? New Mario Kart title. New controller gimmick? Better show the world how to use it. Grab your plastic steering wheel attachment and stick new batteries in your Wiimote, because we're about to go racing.
Again.
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| Source // Nintendo |
Fun Times
I'm reliably informed that Mario Kart Wii is P2's favourite game, but I think she'll say that anything she remembers playing at some point in her life is her favourite game, so take that with a pinch of salt. I do know she likes it quite a bit, though, and is competitive enough that I'm sure she proved how capable a player she was to me head to head.
I may, however, be merging Mario Kart Wii with Mario Kart 8, and I didn't make any notes for how Mario Kart Wii played before knowing I'd be doing such a silly thing as playing all these video games for no particular reason.
A few months ago know, I suppose, I went through a batch of Wii titles before the batteries ran out and did make some notes about my time with this game, and I consider it to effectively be my first time playing it - as you may know, I didn't fall for the Wii hype and was rather late to the party.
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| Source // Nintendo |
You can choose from a number of modes, all of which are probably familiar to you by now, and from one of several control methods. My notes mention how I started with the Wiimote and Nunchuck combo, which didn't feel too bad. It'll always be a little strange playing with what is effectively a controller split into two parts, but I was able to race around without too much difficulty.
Instead of that, however, you could be playing using the motion control, turning your Wiimote sideways, slapping it into a plastic steering wheel hub and gently tilting it left and right to turn. It's a control scheme that even gives you little touches like an easier way to throw items ahead of you, but is otherwise terribly sensitive and not in a good way.
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| Source // Nintendo |
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| Source // Nintendo |
I remember saying "What?" when P2 said that was a thing. The karts have it too, and basically, you have to waggle the Wiimote or press the D-pad in the right fashion at the right time before a jump to pull off a physics-defying trick which will reward you with a speed boost upon landing. Couple that with speed boosts from drifting around corners and the good players soon race off ahead of you.
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| Source // Wikipedia |
Frustrations
They'll just as quickly be overtaken by the entire pack thanks to the item selection. Much has been said of the Mario Kart blue shell, but Mario Kart Wii's blue shell is ridiculous, as are a number of other overpowered items that ruin races in seconds, making the game a crapshoot, rather than a competition.
If you're playing for a laugh, especially with friends, you can not take the game seriously and have a good time with the sheer amount of chaos that is taking place. If you are competitive, though, or if you're working your way through single-player races to unlock things, you might be fuming by the time you're done.
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| Source // Nintendo |
You'd think that with four control schemes there'd be a clear winner for which to choose, but because of the inclusion of motion control gimmicks, and the speed boost you're rewarded with for using them, your choice in the matter boils down to whether you want to waggle like an idiot for half of the race, or stop using the analogue stick to mash the D-pad.
Maybe the Nunchuck and Wiimote set up is the front runner after all, I don't know - it's far better than trying to balance the Wiimote in its steering wheel to simply drive straight. And why include bikes when they don't even have steering wheels?
My final notes were regarding its graphics, which aren't as flashy as you might have wanted, but the Wii wasn't the powerhouse of the day. These SD graphics are the best you're going to get, but at least they all run rather smoothly - when your race hasn't been halted to yet another item being used against you.
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| Source // Nintendo |
Final Word
I didn't play too much Mario Kart Wii when making notes, mostly because I was a little bored of it. Bikes are not enough of a reason to play it, and the motion gimmicks resulting in too much ridiculous waggling getting in the way of what I wanted to do: race.
You have to accept when playing a Mario Kart game that it's probably not going to be a simple race. You probably won't race ahead, never to be caught. You almost definitely won't be unaffected by stage hazards or items aimed towards you. You are going to into a game that aims to be a little bit of controlled chaos.
Because it does have that racing core, I generally don't mind playing Mario Kart games. I don't see myself being blown away by them very often, if at all, but I do see myself smiling more often than not. They are - like I said before - a safe game to make. You know they're going to sell by the bucket load, and are going to be played to death on each and every new console.
Mario Kart Wii is a fine game. It's not the best in the series. Best known, perhaps, but not the best. Its gimmicks would either be refined or outright removed in future titles, for example, but that's pretty much what happens to all games in a series. You try something different, see what sticks, learn from it and move on.
This game is a little different, has its positives, its negatives, and eventually, you'll move on. Fun? Sometimes. Frustrating? Sometimes. Must-play? You've probably already played it, haven't you?
Fun Facts
Bikes were initially rejected because Mario on a bike would look "bizarre". Insert image of Mario driving a dinky Mercedes-Benz GLA here...
Mario Kart Wii, developed by Nintendo EAD, first released in 2008.
Version played: Nintendo Wii, 2008.